Ekrem Imamoğlu: Erdogan-Rivale sold as mayor of Istanbul

The Mayor of Istanbul and opponent of state chief Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has to be custody. A Turkish court ordered this, as the state news agency Anadolu reported. The Istanbul public prosecutor had previously requested custody.

The Turkish Ministry of the Interior Imamoglu has now relieved its office as mayor of Istanbul. Imamoglu “was suspended by his tasks,” said the Interior Ministry on Sunday.

İmamoğlu was arrested together with dozens of other people on Wednesday, a few days before his planned nomination as a presidential candidate of the largest opposition party CHP. İmamoğlu are made terrorist and corruption allegations in two procedures.

Specifically, the corruption investigation is about suspicion of membership in a criminal association, extortion, bribery, fraud and manipulation of tender. The background to the terrorist investigations against İmamoğlu is a cooperation between the CHP and the pro-Kurddish party in the local elections, according to the state news agency Anadolu. Anadolu quoted the prosecutor’s office on Wednesday cited the PKK’s banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK to expand its influence.

The arrangement of the pre -trial detention was initially associated with the corruption investigation. Against 106 people are determined in both procedures. Prevention of custody was also arranged against İmamoğlus and many others. İmamoğlu rejects all allegations.

İmamoğlu condemned the investigation against him on the platform X and turned to his followers: “I call my people. With your support, we will first thwart this coup, and then we will continue to send those who let us experience this.”

Oppositional as well as observers accuse the government of wanting to eliminate a political competitor with its approach to İmamoğlu. Despite the prohibitions on the demonstration, his arrest caused great protest in the country, which has lasted for several days. The CHP spoke of 300,000 participants in Istanbul alone on Friday. The number could not be checked.

The use of pepper spray against demonstrators was again reported from Istanbul and Ankara. Protest from various parts of the country had also been reported during the day. Already in the night of Saturday, thousands demonstrated in more than a dozen cities. According to the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, 343 people were arrested. The ministry said that they want to prevent a “disruption of public order”. “Chaos and provocations” would not be tolerated.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned İmamoğlus supporters of rallies on the weekend. That was “street terror,” said the 71-year-old on Friday that he would not accept that. “As we have never given in to terrorism, we will not give way to vandalism.” With a view to the allegations made against İmamoğlu and the calls, he said: “It is deeply irresponsible to refer to the street to defend theft, looting, illegality and fraud instead of going to court.”

İmamoğlus Sieg 2019 in Istanbul is considered a bitter defeat of the AKP party Erdoğan, which previously ruled the big city. İmamoğlu won again in Istanbul 2024. Istanbul is the most populous metropolis in the country and both politically as economically of central importance. Politically, control over Istanbul is often seen as a symbol for the general political influence in the country. Erdoğan’s promotion had also started in Istanbul when he was elected mayor there in 1994.

The CHP chairman Özgür Özel had called the arrest of his party friend a “civil coup”. Erdoğan’s party defends itself against the accusation and called him the “summit of political unreasonation”.

Regardless of the allegations, the CHP wants to capture the planned nomination of İmamoğlus as the party’s presidential candidate today. In the nationwide vote, 1.7 million party members of the CHP are called to give up their vote.

İmamoğlu is the only candidate. Observers classify him as a promising challenger Erdoğan’s, but the investigation can prevent his official candidacy. The next regular presidential election is scheduled for 2028.

Note: This article was updated after suspension Imamoğlus.